News

Rimoka Housing Foundation - Community Update

Golden Leisure Lodge receives funding to update sprinklers

Rod Fox, MLA for Lacombe-Ponoka, (pictured second to the right) visited Golden Leisure Lodge to present a cheque of $770,000 to upgrade the lodge's sprinkler system.

Over the next three years, the Alberta government will direct $80 million to upgrade fire and safety systems in government-owned or supported seniors lodges throughout Alberta.

Many of the 24,000 government-owned and supported seniors apartment and lodge units in Alberta were built prior to 1990, before fire sprinklers became mandatory under fire and building safety codes.

Projects were selected based on property and operations assessments completed by housing management bodies and Alberta Health Services, with priority given to facilities presenting the biggest safety risks.

This funding primarily comes from the financial reserves of the Alberta Social Housing Corporation and is in addition to previously allocated investments for replacement of older facilities and capital improvements to existing seniors’ accommodations.

Parkland Manor Receives Funding

On May 21st, the Governments of Canada and Alberta announced funding for the expansion of Parkland Manor in Rimbey. The funding is part of the Investment in Affordable Housing 2011-2014 Agreement between the Governments of Canada and Alberta.

The Honourable Blaine Calkins, Member of Parliament for Wetaskiwin, along with Greg Weadick, Minister of Municipal Affairs made the announcement at the lodge to a full room of residents, families, and staff. As Blaine Calkins said, “These units will be more than just safe and affordable places to live. They will be key to a better life for the residents who will call them home.”

Paul McLauchlin, Board Chair for Rimoka Housing Foundation, and Rick Pankiw, Mayor of Rimbey, also joined Denis Beesley, President & CEO of The Bethany Group for the announcement.

“We are excited about this announcement and the positive impact it will have for the region. This project has been a long time in the making and the Rimoka Housing Foundation is thrilled that we can now focus on the best future for our residents. We look forward to working with government and our stakeholders to renew our lodge spaces in Rimbey that will ultimately give our residents a better quality of life and continue to be a great community asset for the next generation of seniors,” said Paul McLauchlin, Board Chair for Rimoka Housing Foundation.

The Bethany Group is excited about this announcement and will keep staff, residents, and families apprised of developments as the project moves forward.